Conference Graphic Recording
Command focus and give your attendees high-impact, shareable visual summaries. I am Matt Orley, and I illustrate keynote presentations live to prove the value of your event's registrations.
Visual Summary of Conference Brilliance
Keynote speeches, panels, and breakout sessions are packed with insights. Unfortunately, traditional text summaries are forgotten the moment they hit an inbox.
As a Graphic Recorder, I listen to the live discussion and map the core messages onto large-scale boards in real time. It changes the atmosphere of your event from passive listening to active engagement.
- Command Attention: Drawing live acts as a visual magnet that guides focus away from smartphone screens.
- Boost Registration ROI: Hand your attendees visual executive summaries they can present to bosses to justify attendance costs.
- Virality by Design: Attendees photograph the boards and post them to social networks, acting as an organic marketing engine for next year's event.
Standard Recording vs. Live Illustration
Make your event graphics a strategic asset instead of just background doodles.
Typical Graphic Recording
- Buzzword Catching Listening for high-level buzzwords and drawing simple icons step-by-step.
- Standard Palettes Using preset templates and colors that don't reflect your unique brand context.
- Isolated Drawing Focusing heavily on the easel while remaining passive and detached from attendees.
- Delayed Delivery Scanning and cleaning up boards days or weeks after the event has concluded.
Strategic Live Illustration
- Deep Insight Integration Leveraging industry research to connect complex ideas and map visual arguments.
- Custom Metaphor Deployments Developing narrative-driven visual concepts unique to your session topics.
- Active On-Site Presence Engaging attendees, explaining concepts, and sparking curiosity during breaks.
- Instant Digital Delivery Refining and delivering optimized digital assets via QR code in under 60 seconds.
Instant Digital Asset Delivery
No more waiting days for post-event cleanups. Attendees and event staff get access to cleaned, high-contrast digital files in under a minute.
Through a proprietary multi-pass image processing pipeline, every photo is automatically straightened, cropped, shadow-corrected, and enhanced for maximum clarity on site.
- AI-Refined Images on the Fly: Crisp, color-corrected files ready for executive summaries, recap PDFs, or social media.
- Seamless QR Code Access: QR codes are affixed directly to the physical boards. Attendees scan to download instantly.
- No-Login Mini-Site Gallery: A mobile-ready web portal showcases all drawings as they are illustrated. Zero friction, zero passwords.
Your logo & event branding are automatically attached to the bottom of every file!
The Conference Workflow
How I partner with you to capture and showcase your event's insights, keeping it simple for your team.
- Pre-Event Prep: Clear checklists, timeline reviews, and agenda alignment. I handle all custom headshot printing, board logistics, and shipping.
- Live Drawing: A brief on-site walkthrough aligns drawing setups and session schedules before the main events—I illustrate live to capture key insights in real time.
- Art Walk Buildout: Completed panels are moved to central networking zones (exhibit halls or lobbies) during the event, building an interactive visual landmark.
- Digital Presence: QR codes on each board link to a clean, event-branded mobile gallery with color-enhanced digital images uploaded live between sessions.
"Moreover, I know we all agree that your style – low-maintenance, self-reliant, easy-going, always professional – is doubly appreciated. You meshed really well with our team."
"Matt was professional and very easy to work with both pre-planning and during the conference."
Need detailed room layouts, exact dimensions, or media kits?
View Planner Kit & LogisticsConference Success Stories
See how live illustration drives micro-engagements and content velocity at conferences.
Annual Association Meetings
I provided live illustration for plenary sessions and breakout panels. The physical art gallery became a high-traffic hub during breaks. Digitized boards are instantly posted online.
Keynote Panels & Activations
Capturing complex cloud infrastructure keynotes, I translated dry jargon into narrative metaphors. Prep work always includes industry review, session description dissection and metaphor planning.
Executive Leadership
Leadership is a common topic, and prized by inspirational speakers. I regularly draw through leadership topics.
Trusted Across Industries
Live graphic recording is highly versatile. Here is a look at client sectors I regularly serve:
Living the Scribe Life
I illustrated my first corporate meeting in 2010 and founded Big Paper Strategy in 2018. Over the years, I've served as the dedicated listener for 170+ events, capturing more than 20,000 square feet of live illustrations.
With a background in electrical engineering and industrial sales, I quickly parse complex technical jargon, business strategies, and industry acronyms. Beyond the drawings, I bring an active, friendly personality on site—frequently sporting self-designed wild Hawaiian shirts and engaging attendees in curious conversations about the concepts developing on the boards.
Read Matt's StorySee the Work in Action
Very long art walk at the JW Marriott convention center in Los Angeles. All illustrations crafted by Matt Orley during conference sessions.
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Small Artwalk created during a client conference for an accounting company.
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Event speaker holding a panel created by graphic recorder Matt Orley during her session at a DC area conference.
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Graphic Recorder Matt Orley kneeling with his hands raised in front of a subset of drawings from a pharmaceutical association conference.
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AI-refined graphic recording of Mike Massimino keynote address about teamwork.
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AI cleaned version of an attendee engagement interactive drawing created during a tradeshow floor lunch hour.
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AI cleaned version of an attendee engagement interactive drawing created during a tradeshow floor lunch hour.
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Photo of a photographer taking a picture of a conference session speaker and her cohort. The speaker is holding up the graphic recording/illustration.
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Four Panel Session speakers posing next to an illustration drawn by Matt Orley. Image Created in real time.
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Panel Discussion Speakers posing with a graphic recording created during their vendor-led conference session at a technology education event.
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Event attendees eyeing a graphic recording created during a keynote address. Photograph taken from behind the panel, no art is visible, but their positive reactions are visible.
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Award winners standing behind a graphic recording of an awards ceremony.
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Graphic Recording during a Cleveland event. Content taken from both speakers and attendee input. Panel placed near the stage and podium.
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Graphic Recording of a keynote address. in Baltimore, MD.
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Graphic Recording for a Keynote Address in Port Charlotte, Florida.
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Graphic Recording from an Introductory Plenary for a Client Conference in Orlando
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AI Digitized Illustration of a Graphic Recording from a Conference session in Phoenix, AZ
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Graphic Recording from a breakout session created at a conference in Dallas, Texas.
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Graphic Recording from a Keynote Session with Dan Chuparkoff at a conference in Glendale, AZ.
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Graphic Recording regarding Military suicide captured near San Antonio Texas with a suicide Prevention organization.
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AI Digitized graphic recording captured via live illustration at an economic conference in Reno, Nevada.
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Cliff Claven wondering what I am doing drawing in the corner.
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Extended panels that I'm illustrating at a flooring installation conference in Dallas, TX.
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Farm Babe Michelle Miller - A graphic recording on her talk about SeedOils.
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Live Illustrations of sessions captured at a food distribution conference in Orlando, FL.
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AI Digitized and branded graphic recording of a breakout session captured in Glendale, AZ.
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Four Graphic Recording Panels captured at the Rainforest Cafe in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hanging flora brings depth of shadow to the panels.
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Graphic Recording from a company meeting captured in Columbus, OH. This photograph is of a framed version of the graphic in a hospital hallway.
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Live Illustration of a breakout session on streamlining the closing of monthly books. Tips and Tricks.
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Matt Orley kneeling in front of a graphic recording while holding a marker against the board. Matt is wearing a shirt with a previously drawn illustration. It looks like camouflage!
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Matt Orley in the middle of drawing a constellation of ideas in a conference room. Graphic Recording half completed. This conference was in Dallas, Texas.
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Six graphic recordings in a brightly lit room with lots of shadow and sun glare. Conference illustrations in Columbus, OH.
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Graphic Recording of a High School Band reunion.
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Graphic Recordings captured near Louisville, Kentucky during a higher education conference with the Missouri Community College Association.
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18 Graphic Recordings in a well lit prefunction foyer at the JW Marriott in LA LIVE! in Los Angeles, CA.
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Interactive visual summaries displayed outside of an exhibit hall at an accounting conference
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Fourteen graphic recording images from a flooring conference, arranged in a round, artist Matt Orley in the middle with his thumbs up in a happy pose.
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Live Illustration of a Keynote Address captured in Kansas City, Missourri in 2026.
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Two graphic recording images stacked. This DC/Dupont Circle event was just two hours long, and delved into the politics of Millennials.
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Professional Doodler Matt Orley hard at work illustrating a graphic recording at a banking conference in Michigan.
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A large number of real estate agents taking photos of panels that represented keynote and breakout sessions at a conference in Louisville, Kentucky.
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This is an AI digitized graphic from a utilities conference. This plenary panel discussion discussed recruitment and retention.
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Restaurant Leadership sessions at a restaurant conference in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona.
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A Strategy Session capturing changing views on construction delivery methods. This image
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Matt Orley standing in front of 10 Graphic Recording Panels at a DC event.
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A digitized version of a graphic recording at a Reno, Nevada event. Energy, Finance, and Tribal topics.
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Two Tall graphic recording images from a conference in Fort Worth Texas, for a Healthcare Client Conference.
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7 Panels Crafted at a conference in Glendale, CA. Breakout and plenary session topics in the personal finance space.
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Graphic Recordings from a banking and finance event in Michigan.
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6 graphic recording illustrations displayed together at a Greenville, SC client conference in the healthcare payer space.
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Matt Orley in a Hawaiian shirt standing in front of illustrations at a restaurant technology conference.
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6 Panels in a tradeshow exhibit space for a John Deere conference. Attendee Engagement discussions filled each panel.
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Live Illustration at a Education Technology Conference. Image includes the drawing, and several speakers standing around the graphic.
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Several Graphic Recordings crafted during a pharmaceutical technology conference in Long Beach, CA. Various event attendees gather around, take photos, and discuss the week's content.
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Real feedback from corporate leaders, board members, and association planners across the USA.
"Holy wow I love this Matt Orley!"
"You provided great value to IPEC 2022. The proof of that is the apparent new business you may have picked up as a result of your work on-site! There's no better testimonial to your value than having our attendees booking you... style: low-maintenance, self-reliant, easy-going, always professional."
"I've been creating events for 17 years and appreciate a self-sufficient talent. Matt was professional and asked great questions in preparation for the speaker sessions. He is the epitome of set him up for success and he will handle the rest. His in-person demeanor is very cordial where he moves silently but his creations are so impactful. A great addition!"
"When we first discovered Matt and Big Paper Strategy, we were a bit apprehensive about how this innovative enhancement would play out at our event. But let me tell you, it was a colossal success! The attendees were absolutely thrilled to see their sessions captured live, and the priceless memories created were nothing short of a masterpiece. Matt brought our sessions to life in a way that not only engaged but also excited everyone present."
"Matt and Big Paper Strategy elevated our conference from a typical conference to an elevated experience for our entire company worldwide. His ability to capture the key concepts and present them in a fun way accelerated the learning and knowledge sharing."
"It was so nice to have Matt at the conference! There were SO MANY attendees who stopped by the illustration panels to review them and take photos. We received multiple compliments on how unique and helpful the illustrations were. Having access to the electronic versions of the illustrations was SO helpful! We were able to distribute those to our attendees and it was a nice 'take-home' for them!"
"Matt was a brilliant addition to the Power Up Summit! He has exceptional listening skills, capturing the essence of each presentation with accuracy and creativity. His workshop was well received, his artwork lit up the halls and he was great to work with, an absolute professional!"
"Big Paper Strategy's impact on our SMart conference was truly remarkable, thanks to Matt Orley's exceptional illustrations. His artwork brilliantly captured the event's highlights and themes, elevating the overall experience for attendees."
"Matt was professional and very easy to work with both pre-planning and during the conference. The Graphic recordings of two of our plenary presentations were a huge hit... many people lined up to review the drawings in completion."
"These graphic recordings gave a fun and surprisingly on-point review of the meeting."
Setup & Logistics
I make it my mission to be the absolute easiest vendor on your planner list. The setup requirements are minimal:
- Space: A clear floor area with good visibility for the audience (typically 6x3 ft, or 10x4 ft for larger murals).
- Supplies: I provide Neuland markers, specialized backing, and custom materials.
- AV: No power supply, audio feeds, or projector setups are required.
- Display: Boards can be easel-mounted or displayed as a networking artwalk.
Secure Your Event Dates
Conference calendars fill up quickly, especially during spring and fall seasons. Let's schedule a call to talk about your agenda and speakers.